The eldest princess wake up on the third day. She finds herself on a nice comfortable bed. However it is not her room. Her back is in pain and she cannot push herself up. The room is big and airy. Curtains are flying gently and candles light is dancing. The only furniture in the room is the bed she is in and a small side table The bed is comfortable but it is not as big as her own bed. She notice that she does not have any clothes on except for a pair of shorts. Everything she wore is removed and they don't look like they are in this room. Her long hair is sweep aside. She look at her arm that have suffer some cuts and bruise. She feel sorry for herself. She shouldn't take the chance to go outside of the palace. Now, she is not sure if she can go back home or can she reclaim her identity. While thinking on the bed, the door is open.
A man walk in with some maids behind him. The maids put down the tray they are holding on the side table. They walk out and close the door gently. He pick up one of the bottle from the tray and walk to the eldest princess.
"A wake? Later i will have the physician come and take a look at you. Lady, you are very delicate. Just a cut, you faint. Why are you in the battleground, that is interesting. Tell me who are you?"
He sit on the bed beside her. The eldest princes remain quiet. She is not going to talk. Talking too much might give away who she is.
"I … My name is Li Wei An. Talk now …"
She remain silence till be starts to apply creme on her wound. She wince. He lean down and whisper in her ears.
"That sound like a person who is used to have pleasure … Don't temp me."
She inform him and close her eyes. She feel his fingers touching her back. He is tracing her spine.
"You have injured me too. My chest now have a hole. You have to be responsible for it."
He stand up and remove his outer and inner garments. Laying down in his pants. He look at the beams.
"I usually don't get injured in any situation. My body guards will take the hits for me. I was distracted the other day. Thus this hole remain me never never never be distracted about anything. I had your belongings search through to understand who you are. Other than the uniform with the word Xiao, i cannot get anymore information. I have taken your number tag back to Great Liang to check on your identity. My spies will soon find out who you are even if you are not talking. "
At that moment, the door open. A maid walk in. She bow.
"Your highness, consort Wen is asking for your presence for meal."
"Tell her i am busy."
"Yes your highness. I will convey your message."
"Bring some small dish in here."
"Yes your highness."
The eldest princess listen. She understand that he is royalty. He must be either the crown prince or one of those prince. He is arrogant and even worst than her. His feature are rough and not refine at all. His eyes are huge and they stare into the soul of anyone. The high cheek bones gives him a haughty look. He hardly smile unless there is something strange that he cannot comprehend, he will laugh.
He looks at the girl laying on the bed. He touch her back again. The maid quietly leave the room. That afternoon, he lay in bed and falls asleep with his enemy beside him.
Everyday after court session, he comes to the quiet courtyard. He order woman garments for his new prisoner. He personally dry clean her. She did not protest but lay on her chest without looking at him. He look at her skinny body that he remember she can do a cart wheel without problem. He noted that she is not shy with him touching her all over. She is unlike those woman that he had come across. Finally one day she ask when is she going to have proper clothes. She cannot keep laying on his tummy. He lean over to whisper into her ears.
"Well i don't mind looking at a nice body."
"I am a normal person. I need clothes and shoes."
"Hmm… in that case i will arrange…"
He touch the shorts under the quilt. She grows angry and shift her body away. He laugh and he adjust his garment which is open as he lay on the side of the bed. He got off and walk out. The maids close the door and bow to him.
"Prepare some garments for my … guest inside. Also … never mind. I personally get those."
As he walks away he whistle a happy tone.
The eldest princess is breathing fire out of her nostril. She shake her leg in frustration as he had chain her left ankle to the bed and she hear the chain ratter on the ground. Wei An look at her with amusement.
"Isn't it the best? You got some clothes on and i need some assurance. Until i know who you are, i can negotiate with Great Liang… You want to go home just tell me who are you. I will … send you home. If not just stay here and be my concubine."
"Keep dreaming!"
She shake her ankle. He laugh and sit down beside her.
"You can remain in this room for awhile. Till i am satisfy."
A maid rush into the room and kneel down. Her head touch the ground and said loudly.
"Your highness! Please punish me, i fail to stop consort Wen is making her way here."
He stand up and walk towards the door. After closing it, the eldest princess can hear shouting outside the door. The maid continue to be kneeling at the ground without moving. After the shouting is quiet down, the door is open again. Wei An walk in he look at the maid.
"Go out. Don't allow this to happen again."
"I will obey your highness."
She hurry to leave the room and shut the door. The eldest princess look at the man who cannot smile. His hair is never combed up since the day she see him without his armour. He dress in a scholar outfit since that day. He walks to her and stand in front of the eldest princess. They look at each other quietly.
"That … woman is my wife."
"Hmm i know."
"We grow up together."
"Hmm…"
"I marry her at the age of ten while she is twelve. She give birth to our daughter at the age of fifteen… what she wants i give it to her. There is nothing i cannot give her. Yet she is never happy. She is always picking a fight with me."
"You can give her everything … but have you given your time to her?"
He stare at her blankly as if she is saying something too deep for him to understand.
"I … i have given her everything. She ask for a child. I sleep with her every night till she gets pregnant. Now our child is six this year. She wants another. I don't want. I … have my important things to do. I have to fight for my rights and all she can think of is to give birth to babies! Those are not important to me! What is important is to keep and protect my rights! Why can't she understand?!"
"Try talking to her, nicely.."
"She don't listen. She … she .. "
He sigh deeply and sit down beside her. For some reason he lean his body towards the eldest princess and place his head on her shoulder. They sit together for a long time watching the birds flying outside the window.
Wei An finds out that his prisoner knows how to play a game of XiangQi (Chinese chess). He is delighted as so many years no one wants to have a game with him. His brothers are not close to him thus the only one who play with him was his teacher. However due to old age, the old man passed away. That day onwards, his game of chess pause and it collected dust. Now he have someone who can actually play a game with him. It got him excited and there is a spark in his eyes. Every afternoon, after his court session, he head towards the courtyard with excitement. There is no better player between them. She lay on the bed on her side waiting for her turn. While he carefully read the board to anticipate her next move. Some round of games, will take days to complete. After some round, she got bored and over turn the board. He is amuse at her character.
"You act like a person of high nobility. Like me. I am sure that you must be one of the princess. Which one, i have to find out…"
"I hope you find something … but let me tell you, i come from a mountain… I join the army for the taels they are giving…"
He laugh and grab her ankle. He look at her with his big eyes.
"You are amusing. A story teller? A liar? A trickster?"
"Hmm whatever you want to believe. Believe it."
"I believe … I believe … you are Great Liang's princess. Definitely not a bandit. But which princess?"
He touch her feet. They are soft and white. She try to move away but he pull her back. He move near her and push the board away. He craw to her side and lay next to her.
"If you are the princess… the more i have to keep you here."
"I am not."
"I think you are … You don't have anything poor on you. Look at your feet, look at your hands. Look at your face. You are born with the silver spoon in your mouth. Even if you are not a princess, you must be from one of those noble families. "
He long skinny finger lift up her long skirt and he slowly run his hands upwards. She knows there is no use to fight with him. She only can hope there is an interruption. He nose dive into her hair and neck. It bring strange sensation to her. The eldest princess close her eyes and try to stay calm. His hands lift up her skirt that is parted at the center. he touch her pubic hair. Seeing that she have no reaction. He move nearer.
"I have a desire…"
He push his manhood and grind in-between her bottom.
"I don't have any other woman besides my wife but i have a desire now. Even if i find out who you are, you are not returning to Great Liang. i will keep you here. Till we die."
The next day and after he stay with her every evening. He will return to his palace to have his meal with his family. The eldest princess try to bribe the maids who bring in the meals. However they don't talk much to her. Each of them look like they are afraid. They will wait till she finish her meal. They pack up and leave. The eldest princess apply creme at the chain every hour hopping it will make it sloppily enough to push it out of her ankle. Somedays, she gives up. She sit on the bed and watch the outside.
He kiss her passional when he arrives after dinner. The eldest princess did not resist. It is so long she had sex. She lay on the bed while he undress her. She pretend that she is a doll and allow him to do what he wants, After he undress she realise that he is muscular. He is thin but yet he have a well defined body. She remember that the another person who have a six pac is Yi Shao. She suddenly feel like crying. She miss Yi Siao. Holding her tears back, the man in the bed is licking her private part. His eyes look up to see her face. He cannot decided if she is enjoying it or if she is a virgin. He see tears dripping down. He recall on the day of his wedding night, his wife cry too. She was a virgin and he was rough. After that he avoid sleeping with her as the physician said she have a tear that's why it bleed so much. He was young and did not know how to have sex properly. After a few years, she take the first step to arouse him. She sat on him the whole night and ride him. That pleasure did not stop. He seek her in day time too but he refuse to release his essence in her. She beg him for a child till his mother threaten to take her own life. He agree under the watchful eyes of the eunuch and his mother. He push himself to give them what they need. He watch his wife get pregnant. Everyone but him is happy. Now he have a desire, he wants to make another baby. However this time, he choose to have a child with the enemy state. This will bring chaos to the court and his family. The thought of it brings joy to him. He cannot wait to go inside thus he get off the bed and ask his maid to apply the sexual creme on his manhood. They hurry in and one of them bring in a tray full of bottles. One maid knee before him to lick his manhood. While another hurry to apply creme all over her hands. After it becomes hard, the other maid walk over and apply the creme using her hands on his manhood. he look over his prisoner. She have her eyes close. He look at her body, it is unlike his wife who is curvy and big breast. She is thin and skinny with small neat breast. A classic beauty. He dismiss them and hear the door close. He climb back on the bed. She is still wet thus he enter her in a swift movement.
Outside the maids hear the moaning from inside. They remain quiet with their head down.
"Should we inform the consort Wen…"
"No. Better not… i don't want my head to roll. Later when they are done. Just clean them up and leave fast."
"But wouldn't she come to know."
"When she knows, we will deal with it… his highness won't allow her to beat us if we did not say anything. Keep quiet."
"Why is he so … fierce tonight in the bed?"
"Better to her than us…"
"Yes better to be her … he is too scary and painful. I am scare to get pregnant…"
The two girls whisper softy as they stand at the courtyard gate. They hear the prisoner moaning loudly.After a long time, they hear him asking for a clean up. They hurry in with a basin of water. One clean the prisoner and the other clean the prince. He look at the maid and said softy.
"You are good with your mouth. Lick it clean with your mouth."
She have no choice but to put down the towel. She open her mouth and lick it clean. Soon, the maid leave. He look at his prisoner. She is not a virgin. She probably have done it many times so why is she tearing. He climb on the bed and circle his arm around her.
That afternoon, consort Wen heard what he had done. She is disappointed and she cry to his mother, noble consort Yin. He was summon to see his mother after court. He knows what to expect. When they enter the courtyard, the eldest princess is till asleep. Usually she doesn't wake up till the sun is high up in the sky. Thus when they wake her up, she got angry. Also partly she is not dress up at all. Everyone in the room see a naked girl with her ankle chain to the bed. His mother noble consort Yin got angry.
"is this how you have girls serve you in bed?"
"Mother i …"
"What are you afraid she is going to run away?"
"Yes mother …"
His mother stare at him with her eyes even open bigger. The girl she see on the bed is indeed a beauty.
"Remove the chain and have proper … bed-ing manners!"
"Mother! I know what to do."
"You don't know anything. If you want to have fun… you can but not this way. Also you have to breed with your official wife! You have to make her pregnant not this girl! She maybe beautiful but she is not your wife! An'er… as your mother,i want you to take turn to bed all the woman you want. I wants a lot of grandkids."
"I don't bed everyone … i have my own taste."
"Isn't your wife good enough? She have the figure that all men envy you."
"I don't like that … big … i like girls like her. Small and manageable."
Noble consort Yin nearly faint hearing that.
"What? All men like those big breast women. Even your father lust for those big breast girls. He even kidnapped some girls to just for breast feed him."
"Mother, that is him. I am … me. I am…"
"You are different? Different from all your brothers? "
"Yes different. Now mother, you have seen her. That is enough. Please leave."
He slowly walk her out as she keep talking and questioning him.
"Mother! If you want another grandchild. I suggest you leave soon. So that i can work hard on that."
"What about Consort Wen?"
"You talk to her … i cannot talk to her. She only yell at me whenever we meet."
"That is because you never have a proper conversation with consort Wen or Ting Ting."
"Enough. Go please. Don't come into this courtyard again. "
That night he make love to the eldest princess. A week later, he remove the chain.
"I am removing the chain so that you can move around properly in this room. Don't try anything funny…I have guards all over the entire place. You need anything, let me know. I see if i can approve it or not."
She stretch out her leg that is free from the chain. He look at her leg and look at her. She use her feet to dig his leg.
"Be a good boy… apply some creme for me. See those chains have stretch my skin…"
He look away and smile. He take her feet up and kiss it.
"I like a woman who knows how to be a nice woman."
His hand reach into her dress and touch her private part. The desire sweep into him. He hurry to remove his pants and enter her fast.
"Who say you don't like me. I say you like me a lot."
He start to hump her in a hurry. The eldest princess hug him tightly as he move. She did not say anything but moan. She is buying time and using her body for him to trust her over time. She have to study the place well if she wants to escape.
Every morning she get up to comb his long hair and bun it up for court. She act like his wife. Smile and greet him. They play chess. They read books and sometimes paint. The only thing they cannot do is play music instruments. Sometimes, she make him chase after her around the room. Both of them without shoes run around like children. Wei An try to ask more about her but she refuse to say anything. Insist that she comes from the mountains. While his spies return the news that the princesses are all married. Thus he stare at the uniform that is hanging in his study room. Who is she?
"Anyone report missing from noble families?"
"Your highness there is none. So far there is no news. Even the number tag doesn't have any meaning. No one have seen it before."
"That is strange indeed…"
After he return to the hidden courtyard, he ask her for her name. She look at him and before her brain can process it, her mouth shot out the word.
"Shao'er"
"Shao? which letter for Shao?"
"Shao as in … a few."
"Why did your parents name you that?"
"We have no male and less people in the family thus … maybe my father is disappointed."
She hurry to look away while he is not convince she is telling the truth but for now she is Shao'er.
One afternoon she ask if she can take a walk in the gardens. At first he chain her legs. When they walk out, she is walking like some puppet with strings.
"How about… you remove the chains and i remove my shoes. I walk on bare feet. I cannot run with bare feet… I just want to see flowers. I am bored in the room."
She look at his and purse her lips. He look at her and look away with a smile. He cannot resist a small request. The chains are moved and so are her shoes. They walk in the gardens while holding hands. He look at the girl who is genuinely look at the flowers in his garden. He wants to believe her yet he is afraid she might run if he let go of her hands. After looking at the flowers, he order a meal. Just then, a eunuch come into the courtyard. She take a chance to look around to see what the structure of the place is like.
"Your highness, the crown prince is asking for your presence."
"Tell him, i will…"
"He wants to see you now."
He grind his teeth and look at his prisoner.
"My Shao'er, you have to return to the room. Tomorrow we can continue."
She look disappointed and follow him back to the room. He closed the door and lock it. The eldest princess look at the outside from the window. Not too far she have to start to plan her escape.
Another two months pass, soon it starts to snow. She look outside the window. The sky is falling soft cotton-like balls. She hear soft watering on the window panels. The birds have stop chipping there is no crickets outside the window either. The cold wind blow on her face. She touch the cold icy skin.
"You shouldn't stand near the window."
"Then where should i stand?"
"Come here…"
"How long am i suppose to be in this room?"
"As long as i live."
"I … want to return to Great Liang. Even if i die, i must die on that land."
"There is nothing on that land that is worth for you to step on. Tell me who you are and where you live. I will fetch all the things that you need and want."
"You cannot fetch … a mountain… can you?"
"… you are still not to say who you are."
"I said many times. I live in the mountain. The only path i know that goes up to where i live. Every grass and stone belongs to me."
"Fine! Tell me which mountain. I get my men to dig it up!"
"Dig it up … will it be the same? Are you going to resemble the entire thing? No one can do that.. if you can do so, you must be from the sky. A god!"
"Shao'er … let me tell you this…i have send my spies back to great Liang with your number tag…"
Her eyes are moving around when she hear that. Fortunately she have her back facing him. She cannot hide that smile on her face.
"That number tag of your's … who does it belong it? Even Great Liang, the army does not carry it. I am beginning to suspect where you are from. Base on your accent, my men said that you should be from Qin… if so why are you in the war zone with us and Great Liang?!"
She smile and try to hold back her happiness. She lower her head to control herself. Her accent that she learn to pick up is useful. She have mask herself and her identity long enough. If she cannot reach out to kill the king of Wei, she should escape as soon as she can.
"Since you have search enough, i shouldn't say much."
"I will have my men go to Qin and find out why is Qin helping the Liang. "
Suddenly she panics, this will cause more wars between three countries. She breath in and start thinking.
"Doing too much ground work it must be hard on your men."
"If you refuse to tell me who you are, then of course there are much more work to be done."
"What you want to know, you already have done so."
She look outside the window again. She hope that his spies actually have gone into Great Liang and ask around the number tags. If they happen to ask the right person, her men will soon know where to look for her. Her escape is not very far from now.